Construction
14 courses · Butte College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Fall 2026 · Spring 2027
CNST 1 Introduction to Construction
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 51 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course is designed to teach students a broad overview of the construction industry and the opportunities available in this field. Emphasis will be on developing an understanding of the trades, processes, terminology, practices, and documents in the construction field. The student will be introduced to time, equipment, and materials and their relationship to estimating, cost, and performance.
CNST 5 Plans, Specifications, & Surveying
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 34 hours lecture, 51 hours lab
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course will introduce students to reading construction documents and specifications used in civil, residential, commercial, industrial, and specialty construction. The correlation of plans and specifications to the contract documents will be introduced, as well as the use of the plans for material takeoff. The introduction to surveying will cover fundamental surveying methods, field practices in measuring, note taking/mapping, and staking.
CNST 10 Properties and Applications of Concrete
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 51 hours lecture, 51 hours lab
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course is a study of various types of concrete materials and applications. The students will learn about concrete production, transportation, forming, reinforcing, placing, consolidating, jointing, finishing, and curing. The students will be introduced to foundations, pavements, slabs on grade, structural concrete, and tilt-up/pre-cast concrete. Quality control, quantity take-off, and estimating will be included throughout as they relate to each topic.
CNST 15 Materials and Methods of Construction
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 51 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU
A comprehensive study of the principle building materials and systems that are found in the construction industry. An in-depth review of how these materials and systems interact together to produce a complete design and project. The class highlights upon materials testing, quality control, green building products, and various project delivery methods.
CNST 20 Foundations and Concrete Structures
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 34 hours lecture, 51 hours lab
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course is a comprehensive study of foundations and structures. Students will learn to analyze the practical applications of foundations/structures and the corresponding layout, excavation, form system, and material placement. Modern methods of material delivery and placement for foundations/structures and their forming system are studied and practiced.
CNST 21 Analysis of Construction Drawings and Specifications
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 51 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course is an advanced study of reading construction documents and specifications used in civil, residential, commercial, industrial, and specialty construction. The correlation of plans and specifications to the contract documents will be reinforced, as well as the use of the plans for material takeoff. The student will be introduced to the use of plans and specifications for materials quantity takeoff and the correlation to the project estimate.
CNST 25 Construction Framing
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 51 hours lecture, 51 hours lab
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course is a study of the theory and practical applications of framing in modern construction of residential and commercial buildings. The students will learn safety as it relates to framing construction and the tools and processes used. The sequence and technique of layout, material selection, and construction will be studied and applied.
CNST 30 Interior and Exterior Finishes
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 51 hours lecture, 51 hours lab
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course is a study of the application of interior and exterior finishes common to residential, commercial, and industrial construction. Finish materials will be analyzed for purpose, cost, and ease of installation technique.
CNST 35 Electrical and Mechanical Systems
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 34 hours lecture, 51 hours lab
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course is an introduction to Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Systems and the integration of these systems into the building design and construction process.
CNST 40 Construction Cost Estimating I
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 51 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course is an introduction to cost estimation in construction. The techniques, organization, and forms utilized in the various construction trades will be analyzed and practiced. The student will learn the procedures for quantity take-off, productivity calculation, bid tabulation, and the formulation of basic overhead and profit calculations through practical applications.
CNST 45 Construction Graphics
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 34 hours lecture, 51 hours lab
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course is a study of construction graphics as a representation of our built environment with the ability to communicate 3D forms and ideas through 2D representations and 3D computer models. The focus is on the development of the graphic communication skills needed by the construction professional by establishing a working vocabulary of symbols, details, and views used in construction drawings through lecture and practical application. Students will learn techniques of basic sketching and visualization, as well as an introduction to computer aided drafting and modeling using Sketch-up, Revit, and Navisworks (3D modeling and viewing software tools).
CNST 55 Computer Applications in Construction Management
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 34 hours lecture, 34 hours activity
- Transfers to
- CSU
Coursework introduces foundational technical computing for Construction Managers. It introduces commercial software commonly used in the management and control of construction projects. Application areas include office suite programs, paperless workflows, estimating, and scheduling.
CNST 97 Special Problems-CNST
- Units
- 1-3
- Hours
- 51-153 hours independent study
- Prerequisite
- Permission of instructor
- Transfers to
- CSU
Supervised study and practice in solving special problems in the student's career major. Any student interested in registering for a Special Problems course should contact a full-time instructor or chair/coordinator in the appropriate area no later than the last day of the tenth week of instruction. Students may not petition for a Special Problems course until they have completed satisfactorily 12 units of study at Butte College. 51-153 hours Independent Study. This course may be repeated to a maximum of 3.00 units.
CNST 99 Work Experience-CNST
- Units
- 0.5-8
- Hours
- 25.5-408 hours independent study
- Prerequisite
- Permission of Work Experience Education instructor and employment supervisor
- Transfers to
- CSU
Work experience is an experiential course where students apply what they have learned in the classroom to a work environment. The course offers students the opportunity to develop technical skills, explore possible career choices, build confidence, network with people in the field, and transition into the world of work. Work experience may include paid or unpaid employment. Students may earn one semester unit of college credit in this course for every fifty-one hours of work experience. Students may enroll in this course up to 8 unit(s) to complete the entire curriculum of the course. A maximum of sixteen units can be earned in work experience courses during a student’s enrollment with Butte College.